📘 Preparing for Third-Year Review at JSU
The third-year review (pre-tenure review) is a formative and essential step in the tenure-track journey at Jackson State University. It is designed to assess your progress, identify strengths and challenges, and provide concrete guidance as you continue toward promotion and tenure. Here’s how to approach it effectively:
🔍 Understand the Purpose
- Formative, not final: The third-year review is meant to provide detailed feedback—not a yes/no verdict on tenure. It helps you correct course early if needed.
- Multi-perspective feedback: You’ll receive input from a department-appointed faculty committee, your department chair, and eventually your college dean.
- Evidence-based assessment: Reviewers will assess your dossier using the same five performance areas that appear in the tenure and promotion process.
🧩 Focus on Two Core Opportunities
1. Solicit Clear, Actionable Feedback
- View your review committee as a mentoring team. Their charge is to offer detailed guidance on areas needing improvement.
- Be open to critique and follow up on concerns about research productivity, advising effectiveness, or service contributions.
2. Begin Assembling Your Tenure Dossier
- Think of this as your first major draft of the P&T dossier.
- Use this process to:
- Organize your CV and accomplishments clearly
- Develop initial versions of your narrative statements
- Begin gathering third-party documents (SIRS, peer observations, grant confirmations, etc.)
- This saves you from having to compile everything in a rush the summer before tenure submission.
🗂️ Organize Your Dossier According to Policy
Your dossier should follow this structure:
Section 1: Vita
- Two-page cover letter highlighting major accomplishments and impact
- Abbreviated CV (max 8 pages), with national/international items marked with asterisks
Section 2: Achievements (10 pages or fewer)
Address the five evaluation areas:
- Professional Collegiality – Collaboration, mentorship, and departmental contributions
- Academic Citizenship and University Service – Committee work, student engagement, and event participation
- Teaching and Advising Excellence – Teaching assignments, innovations, evaluations, advising outcomes
- Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities – Scholarly productivity and impact
- Service and Professional Activities – Disciplinary service, consulting, outreach, leadership roles
🗓️ Know the General Timeline (Liberal Arts Example)
- January 15: Department committee appointed
- February 15: Dossier due to department chair
- March 15: Feedback meeting with chair and reports shared
- March 30: Candidate response deadline (optional)
- April 1: Final documents submitted to the Dean
🧠 Tips for Success
- Start early—use summer and early fall to build your materials
- Ask a mentor or colleague to review your CV or narratives
- Save digital copies of all documents—label by year and category
- If you’ve started your P&T dossier already, reuse and refine that content here